Dozens of Venezuelans who were arrested on Thursday at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo after they arrived with a boat were all released around 1 am yesterday.
This is according to a Guyanese-Venezuelan woman who moved to the Tuschen Sea Dam with her family, two years ago.
Attempts made by Stabroek News (SN) to contact senior officers in the region to confirm this information proved futile.
The Venezuelans who were fleeing hardship in their country were taken into custody shortly after they arrived in the open-air boat. The Coast Guard ranks were seen guarding the boat.
The police also seized about 242 fighting fowls that were packed in bags, after they were taken off the boat.
This newspaper had learnt that the people were being held because of the illegal fighting fowls that they had in their possession.
Stabroek News was also told that 80 people, including children, were huddled in the open-air boat.
Some of the people managed to leave the area with families who were there to receive them, before the police got there.
The boat reportedly set sail for Guyana five days ago, stopping in Grenada for one and half days before continuing the journey. When SN got there, the new arrivals were with other Venezuelans who have been squatting on the sea dam, with their belongings.
They looked wet and tired and some of the women were trying to feed snacks to the children.
Police officers were also in the yard with guns, while a few of the officers were asking those who had just arrived to produce their identification cards and other documents.
After the police were finished, they said they were taking them to the immigration department at the Parika Police Station to “process them.”
When they arrived at Tuschen, they got wet again because the boat could not come all the way to the shore and they had to wade through the water to get out.
